Search Results: Lincolniana from Main Street Fine Books & Manuscripts, ABAA

Chicago philanthropist and renowned Lincoln collector whose 7000 item Lincoln collection became one of the cornerstones of the Library of Congress's Lincoln collection. ALS, 1p, 6" X 7", Chicago, IL, 1946 September 5. Addressed to Edward Jacobs. Fine. Thanks the Peoria Lincoln publisher for "the beautiful and well designed New Salem item.... I shall, with pleasure, add it to my Lincoln collection." Comes with a copy of Elmer Gertz's February 1942 "Lincoln Herald" article, "The Library of Alfred W. Stern."

First professor of fine arts at the University of Michigan. ANS, 1p, 9" X 11¼", n.p., 1867 December 22. Addressed to "Dear Sister." Good. Some age toning and mildly soiled; professionally silked. Brief, poignant note transmitting a portrait of Lincoln (not present): "As Christmas this year finds me in poor health, with very little money, not wishing to forget you and Father, I send you my favorite painting of President Lincoln. Wishing you both a merry Xmas and a happy New Year...." Accompanied by a TNS from RANDOLPH G. ADAMS, legendary director of the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan, 1p, 8½" X 11", Ann Arbor, MI, 1946 November 9. Addressed to John D. Denison, Jr. Good plus. "I have compared the signature on the Bradich portrait of Lincoln with other Bradish portrait signatures at the University and there is no doubt that these signatures are the same...." The portrait sent by the artist via this letter is NOT present.

This Swiss-German author's biographies were widely popular in many languages -- among them are Lincoln, Napoleon, Jesus, Bismarck and Goethe. On the message side of a glossy 5¼" X 3¼" heavy stock photograph of Ludwig writing at a desk, he boldly pencils: "Thanking for / kind wishes. / Ludwig / Lucerne / 3.3.40 / Greatings [sic] to your / splendid [ ? ]." Address portion at right also in his hand to Arnold F. Gates of Eleveland, Ohio (1914-09, a future noted Lincoln scholar). Very good. Later this same year Ludwig emigrated to the United States. Surely Ludwig's biography of Lincoln was the occasion for this Lincoln scholar to write the great Lincoln biographer.

This Belarus-born American sculptor is well known for his many powerful working figures showing the strong social realism of his era, but his full-length Lincoln statue in Cleveland is by far his most famous. ALS, 1p, 7¼" X 10½", New York, NY, 5 March 1941. Address to noted Lincoln scholar Arnold F. Gates (1914-93). Near fine. Faint original folds. On imprinted "Studio of Max Kalish, A.N.A." letterhead, Kalish cordially sends "Thanks for your birthday wishes. It was kind of you to remember me," adding to this Cleveland born and raised resident, "Am pleased also that you like my Lincoln statue." Boldly penned in black ink and signed at the close. A superb example of this seldom seen autograph -- and referencing his most famous work to a Lincoln writer.

American historian and author ("Constitutional Problems Under Lincoln," "Lincoln the President") considered by many the greatest Lincoln scholar of the 20th century. ALS, 1p, 8½" X 11", Urbana, IL, n.d. Fine. Titled "Memo," a list of several Civil War books to be sent him, no doubt for research on one of his books; cancels previous Lincoln book ordered. Pencilled notations in another hand.

American historian, director the Louis A. Warren Lincoln Library and Museum from 1956 to 1973 and author of more than 200 articles, pamphlets and books about Lincoln. ALS, 3pp (separate leaves), 8½" X 11", Lincoln Memorial University letterhead, Harrogate, TN, 1941 July 11. Addressed to noted Lincoln scholar ARNOLD F. GATES (1914-93). Near fine. McMurtry replies graciously to some huge research questions the young scholar must have posed. In part: "...your questions will be rather difficult to answer off hand. The questions to be properly answered would require weeks of research work.... I would advise you to get a good history of Ohio, Nicolay & Hay's 'Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln' and Daniel J. Ryan's 'Lincoln and Ohio' from the public library in Cleveland... In these books you will find most of the answers to your questions.... I will be glad to help you on any technical questions that may confront you in your research work on Nancy Hanks...." Accompanied by a fine modern 8½" X 11"… Read More

This attorney from west central Illinois rode the judicial circuit with Abraham Lincoln; in 1858, when William "Duff" Armstrong (son of Lincoln's New Salem friend Jack Armstrong) was charged with murder, Lincoln represented him -- and Shaw served as co-prosecuting attorney; Armstrong was acquitted and it became one of the better known cases of Lincoln's law career. The first of these two Documents Signed is Shaw's law license: 1p, 8" X 12¼", n.p., 4 April 1851. Very good. Mild age toning and a few discreet archival mends on verso; mounting traces on verso along top edge (minor show-through). Top half of this text is an ADS in the hand of SAMUEL H. TREAT (1811-87), Illinois attorney and long-time Lincoln friend who joined the Illinois Supreme Court in 1841 and served as its chief justice from 1848 to 1855. Boilerplate text noting that "J.H. Shaw of Cass County Illinois has this day produced to us, Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois from the County Judge of said Cass County a… Read More

Group of 6 unusual postal covers created by Lincoln scholar Thomas I. Starr (1903-65), noted Lincoln scholar from Detroit, Michigan, whose publications include "Lincoln Belonged to a Great Fraternity" (1936), "A Lost Speech of Abraham Lincoln" (1936) and "Lincoln's Kalamazoo Address Against Extending Slavery" (1941). Six identical 6½" X 3½" envelopes, each bearing the then-new 3-cent Lincoln stamp at upper right and, at upper left printed in brown ink, a profile portrait of Lincoln alongside the tiny printed text quoting Lincoln's well-known reply when told that a new city in Logan County, Illinois was to be named after him ("You'd better not do that, for I never knew anything named Lincoln that amounted to much."). Starr typed his Detroit name/address at lower center and mailed these to cities across the country with the word "Lincoln" in them, having them cancelled on Lincoln's birthday (12 February) 1933 and signed by the postmaster of those cities. Thus the envelope cancelled in Lincoln,… Read More

16th president of the United States. Partly-printed AD, 2pp (recto and verso), 7 3/4" X 13", Appalonia Precinct, IL, 1840 November. Near fine. Minor, even age toning. Lincoln ran for elector in the William H. Harrison vs. Henry Clay presidential election of 1840. He failed to get elected as elector, though the Whig candidate Harrison won. In this poll book leaf, headlined (partly printed) "Poll Book for Appalonia Precinct, Nov. 1840," the registered voters names run down the left margin (28 on recto, 4 on verso) -- all penned in the same bold hand, no doubt an election official. A printed column running across the top, labeled "For Presidential Electors," lists ten elector candidates -- the last being Lincoln, whose name is misspelled "Abram Lincoln." (Lincoln colleague, legislator and future Union general John A. McClernand, 1812-1900, is also listed.) The five Whig candidates seem to have performed poorly in this particular precinct, gathering far fewer votes than the five Democrat candidates. Rare… Read More

Abraham Lincoln's granddaughter, the youngest of Robert Todd Lincoln's three children; mother of Mary Lincoln Beckwith and Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, the last two direct Lincoln descendants. Partly-printed ADS, 1p, 6¼" X 2 3/4", Washington, DC, 7 January 1936. Near fine. Check printed in pale pink drawn on The Riggs National Bank, made out entirely in Randolph's hand in black fountain pen to "Laurence H. Green, Sec.-Treas." in the amount of $13.75, bearing a bold "J.L. Randolph" at lower right. Usual cancellation stamp and perforations, not affecting signature. Rubberstamp endorsed on verso by The Racquet Club of Washington, DC, which notes Green as secretary-treasurer -- a posh private club for the elite a stone's throw from the White House. A handsome example of this extremely uncommon autograph -- checks written by any Lincoln family members are rarely seen.

Noted Abraham Lincoln authority remembered for titles such as "Lincoln in Caricature," "Lincoln Among His Friends," "What Lincoln Read" and "Uncollected Works of Abraham Lincoln." Good content TLS, 1p, 8½" X 11", Elmira, NY, 1947 January 10. Addressed to Joseph L. Eisendrath Jr., a noted Lincoln and Civil War collector from Illinois and one of the founders of the Chicago Civil War Round Table. On letterhead of The Primavera Press. Nice Lincoln contents, reading in part: "I am greatly interested in the work of which you give details in the latest issue of The Abraham Lincoln Quarterly. I trust that you will not confine the book you have in process to the Civil War years. Based upon the fact that most of the Lincoln material which will be released by the Library of Congress in July consists in the main not of letters from Lincoln but of letters to him, I have had under consideration as a supplement to the work which now engages me, one or two volumes to be entitled Letters to Lincoln, covering his… Read More

This prominent New York attorney was a noted Lincoln scholar, author of the 1954 "Three Lincoln Masterpieces"; charter member and vice president of the noted Civil War Round Table of New York and namesake of the prestigious Benjamin Barondess Award for new Civil War titles. TLS, 1p, 8½" X 11", New York, NY, 1958 May 5. Addressed to Arnold Gates (1914-93), noted Lincoln/Civil War scholar and fellow officer of the New York Civil War Round Table. Near fine. Superb content thanking Gates for the journal he put together for their Round Table -- in part: "I could not put it down until it was completely read, chewed and digested... it is a tremendous tour de force you have done. The labor must have been vast. The coverage is simply encyclopedic..... where do you get the time to be a one-armed paper-hanger, a cashier, a recorder, a secretary, and pater familias?" Goes on at length along these lines. Signed simply "Ben." Accompanied by an un-issued "Benjamin… Read More

Famed director of the Department of Lincolniana at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, and author of numerous Lincoln studies. TLS, 1p, 8½" X 11", Fort Wayne, IN, 1959 March 9. Addressed to noted Lincoln and Civil War scholar Arnold F. Gates (1914-93). Near fine. On letterhead of "The Lincoln National Life Foundation," which cites him as director, McMurtry discusses a Lincoln p.r. event coming up in that centennial era: "I was delighted to receive in yesterday's mail the Broadcast Music Incorporated's folder of the first seven broadcasts which they are featuring this Lincoln sesquicentennial year...." Goes on about various Lincoln matters and signs off simply "Gerald" in black ink. Accompanied by one of these later BMI broadcasts authored by himself, "The World of Tom and Nancy Lincoln," a 6-page 8½" X 11" radio broadcast script published by music licensing giant Broadcast Music Inc. later this same year. (Their founder and president, Carl Haverlin, was a close friend of McMurtry… Read More

This American historian and academic eon the 1934 Pulitzer Prize for his "John Hay: From Poetry to Politics"; he also edited the 1939 "Lincoln and the Civil War in the Diaries and Letters of John Hay." TNS, 1p, 7¼" X 10½", Hague, NY, 23 June 1941. Addressed to Arnold F. Gates (1914-93, noted Lincoln and Civil War scholar). Near fine. "It is always a delight to hear from a perfect stranger," he writes, "that something I have written has found appreciation." He also sends congratulations for something that Gates sent him -- he was publishing Lincoln essays in booklet form -- with "every good wish that you may continue in what is certainly one of the most satisfactory intellectual exercises." Boldly signed in black ink.

This prominent New York attorney was a noted Lincoln scholar, author of the 1954 "Three Lincoln Masterpieces"; charter member and vice president of the noted Civil War Round Table of New York and namesake of the prestigious Benjamin Barondess Award for new Civil War titles. TNS, 1p, 8½" X 11", New York, NY, 1951 November 20. Addressed to CARL HAVERLIN (1899-1985), noted Lincoln and Civil War scholar, radio pioneer and president of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). Near fine. Referencing a Civil War Round Table event of the previous day, Barondess jokes, "Did you think you were going to escape thanks for your invitation to me, to be one of the panel, at the Gettysburg Address Seminar last night? If so, the error was profound." Boldly signed. Haverlin has scrawled the draft of a brief reply in bold pencil at upper left, as was his custom. Accompanied by a carbon copy typescript of the very talk Barondess had given at that seminar, 10pp (rectos only), 8½" X 11", n.p., 1951 November 19. Very good. Titled… Read More